Tao Of Peaches
© Surazeus
2017 04 03
Staring at wrinkled map of my face
in the cracked ice pond that swallows sunlight,
I wonder why the universe exists,
and why there is something rather than nothing.
Day after day we struggle to survive,
and year after year our body and soul
transform from innocent child to grim monster
who fights through Wasteland of horror and fear
to find Wonderland of paradise lost.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
After I discard all weird fantasies
of stories about heroes, kings, and gods
entombed in the holy books of religions,
I stand alone here in sunlight and rain.
There is no reason for us to exist,
so every day we wake at flash of sunlight
we invent our reasons to keep existing,
and so we muddle through the maze of life
till death strikes us all down along the way.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
I kneel in tall grass on the river shore,
after consuming sweet juice of the peach,
and shove its wrinkled pit in gooping mud,
then watch it sprout limbs into a tall tree.
The seed transforms soil, water, light, and air
into tall tree spreading limbs toward vast sky,
and mutates muck into succulent fruit
so bees brew honey from pollen of flowers
and I eat sunlight and rain in its globe.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
Gripping the spear I honed sharp on flat stone,
I turn toward the high wall of jagged rocks
I stacked to protect my grove of Tao Trees
and stare at the gang that invades my heaven.
I worked thirty years tending tall peach trees,
transforming wilderness into lush garden,
and now they come to steal fruits of my labor,
so should I welcome them to paradise
or fight to keep its treasure for myself?
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
If I fight them to control paradise
they will kill me and eat fruit of my hands,
but if I welcome them we can all share,
and feast together under twinkling stars.
I pluck peach and step toward chief of their tribe,
saying, eat this Tao for it will give you life,
but he glares at it with skeptical fear,
so I bite my own and suck its sweet juice,
then he eats when he sees I do not die.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
After they eat peaches with laughing smiles,
I lead them to bare patch on river shore
and show them how to plant pits in thick mud,
and how to tend their trees with gentle hands.
We sit in circle in grove of peach trees,
feasting on peaches in sunlight and rain,
and I explain the sacred Way of Peaches
we follow to cultivate trees of fruit,
for the Tao Peach gives us eternal life.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
While she plays bamboo flute in sunset glow,
Hsi Wang Mu dances in grove of peach trees,
and a white crane walks among rustling reeds
as peaches glow gold in purple twilight.
There is no reason for us to exist,
so we follow the Tao, true Way of Life,
by tending peach trees on the river shore
then sharing peaches with all travelers
who gather in grove to share tales of life.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
© Surazeus
2017 04 03
Staring at wrinkled map of my face
in the cracked ice pond that swallows sunlight,
I wonder why the universe exists,
and why there is something rather than nothing.
Day after day we struggle to survive,
and year after year our body and soul
transform from innocent child to grim monster
who fights through Wasteland of horror and fear
to find Wonderland of paradise lost.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
After I discard all weird fantasies
of stories about heroes, kings, and gods
entombed in the holy books of religions,
I stand alone here in sunlight and rain.
There is no reason for us to exist,
so every day we wake at flash of sunlight
we invent our reasons to keep existing,
and so we muddle through the maze of life
till death strikes us all down along the way.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
I kneel in tall grass on the river shore,
after consuming sweet juice of the peach,
and shove its wrinkled pit in gooping mud,
then watch it sprout limbs into a tall tree.
The seed transforms soil, water, light, and air
into tall tree spreading limbs toward vast sky,
and mutates muck into succulent fruit
so bees brew honey from pollen of flowers
and I eat sunlight and rain in its globe.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
Gripping the spear I honed sharp on flat stone,
I turn toward the high wall of jagged rocks
I stacked to protect my grove of Tao Trees
and stare at the gang that invades my heaven.
I worked thirty years tending tall peach trees,
transforming wilderness into lush garden,
and now they come to steal fruits of my labor,
so should I welcome them to paradise
or fight to keep its treasure for myself?
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
If I fight them to control paradise
they will kill me and eat fruit of my hands,
but if I welcome them we can all share,
and feast together under twinkling stars.
I pluck peach and step toward chief of their tribe,
saying, eat this Tao for it will give you life,
but he glares at it with skeptical fear,
so I bite my own and suck its sweet juice,
then he eats when he sees I do not die.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
After they eat peaches with laughing smiles,
I lead them to bare patch on river shore
and show them how to plant pits in thick mud,
and how to tend their trees with gentle hands.
We sit in circle in grove of peach trees,
feasting on peaches in sunlight and rain,
and I explain the sacred Way of Peaches
we follow to cultivate trees of fruit,
for the Tao Peach gives us eternal life.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
While she plays bamboo flute in sunset glow,
Hsi Wang Mu dances in grove of peach trees,
and a white crane walks among rustling reeds
as peaches glow gold in purple twilight.
There is no reason for us to exist,
so we follow the Tao, true Way of Life,
by tending peach trees on the river shore
then sharing peaches with all travelers
who gather in grove to share tales of life.
Why am I still here in this crazy world?
Interesting and enjoyable flight
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